all about the big-horns, thought only of how we
could best convey Charley to the camp. As we had come over some
excessively rough ground, it would be no easy matter to get him there.

"Then go back to your friends, and get them to move camp up here," said
the trapper; "by keeping along the lower ground, they can be here
quickly, and it's a more secure spot, I guess, than where they are."

I asked Long Sam, who now came up, to go back with a message to our
friends, as I was unwilling to leave Charley. This he agreed to do, and
Folkard was glad to have me remain. The food quickly revived Charley,
when Folkard went off to fetch some water from a neighbouring spring.
We then together carried him to the trapper's camp, which was not many
paces off, though so securely hidden that even an Indian's eye could
scarcely have detected it.

This done, I looked out anxiously for the arrival of our friends. The
shades of evening were already extending far away over the lower ground.

"They'll surely come!" I said to myself. Presently I caught sight of
our party, and shouted to them to come on.

Poor Dick burst into tears when he saw Charley, partly from joy at
having found him, and partly from pity at his condition.

It was some time before Charley could speak. The first use he made of
his returning strength, was to tell us that he had been captured by
Indians, and kept a prisoner ever since,--exactly as old Folkard had
supposed; that he was not as badly treated as he expected, but so
strictly watched, that in spite of all the attempts he had made, he
could not effect his escape until two days before, when he found that a
war-party was about to set off to attack an emigrant train coming
westward, of which they had just gained tidings. While the braves were
performing their war-dance to the admiration of the squaws, he had
managed to slip out of camp unperceived, his intention being to warn the
white men of their danger. The train had been encamped some days, and
it was not known how soon they would move forward. He had hoped
therefore to be in time, as the Indians would not venture to attack them
while they remained stationary.

On hearing this we were all eager to set out to the rescue of the white
people. Armitage especially was unusually excited, but to move at that
time of night, with our horses already tired, the country also being of
a somewhat rough description, was scarcely possible. Old Folkard, as
well as